2 research outputs found
Cryogenic Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Captures Hydrated Ions Produced During Electrospray Ionization
Evaporation of water from extensively hydrated protons
and peptides
formed by electrospray ionization (ESI) has been examined for the
first time by cryogenic ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS). The
extent of hydration was controlled using a heated capillary inlet
operated between 340 and 391 K. Cold cluster ions formed in the source
region were transported into a low temperature (∼80 K) IM drift
tube using an electrostatic ion guide where they were separated on
the basis of size-to-charge via low-energy collisions with helium
gas. The eluting IM profile was subsequently pulsed into an orthogonal
time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer for mass-to-charge (<i>m</i>/<i>z</i>) identification of the cluster ion
species. Key parameters that influence the cluster distributions were
critically examined including the inlet temperature, drift tube temperature,
and IM field strength. In agreement with previous studies, our findings
indicate that water evaporation is largely dependent upon the particular
charge-carrying species within the cluster. IM-MS results for protonated
water clusters suggest that the special stability of H<sup>+</sup>(H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub><i>n</i></sub> (<i>n</i> = 21) is attributed to the presence of a compact isomer (assigned
to a clathrate cage) that falls below the trendline produced by adjacent
clusters in the <i>n</i> = 15 to 35 size range. Peptide
studies are also presented in which specific and nonspecific solvation
is observed for gramicidin S [GS + 2H]<sup>2+</sup>(H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub><i>n</i></sub> (<i>n</i> = 0 to ∼26) and
bradykinin [BK + 2H]<sup>2+</sup>(H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub><i>n</i></sub> (<i>n</i> = 0 to ∼73), respectively
From Solution to the Gas Phase: Factors That Influence Kinetic Trapping of Substance P in the Gas Phase
Substance P (RPKPQQFFGLM-NH<sub>2</sub>) [M + 3H]<sup>3+</sup> ions
have been shown to exist as two conformers: one that is kinetically
trapped and one that is thermodynamically more stable and therefore
energetically preferred. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggested
that the kinetically trapped population is stabilized by interactions
between the charge sites and the polar side chains of glutamine (Q)
located at positions 5 and 6 and phenylalanine (F) located at positions
7 and 8. Here, the individual contributions of these specific intramolecular
interactions are systematically probed through site-directed alanine
mutations of the native amino acid sequence. Ion mobility spectrometry
data for the mutant peptide ions confirm that interactions between
the charge sites and glutamine/phenylalanine (Q/F) side chains afford
stabilization of the kinetically trapped ion population. In addition,
experimental data for proline-to-alanine mutations at positions 2
and 4 clearly show that interactions involving the charge sites and
the Q/F side chains are altered by the cis/trans orientations of the
proline residues and that mutation of glycine to proline at position
9 supports results from MD simulations suggesting that the C-terminus
also provides stabilization of the kinetically trapped conformation